Alarmed by a surge in coronavirus cases, the state Department of Public Health (DPH) has issued a COVID-19 alert for New London. It's the second such alert for a Southeastern Connecticut city this month. Nearby Norwich was the subject of a similar announcement last week.
Even as Phase Three of reopening started today, Gov. Ned Lamont says the new numbers could lead him to recommend that New London and Norwich revert to Phase Two.
New London Mayor Michael Passero says the DPH alert comes as no surprise, give the rising case load in that part of the state. "When they were announcing the situation in Norwich," says Passero, "we were aware the exact same thing was happening in New London."
The New London schools are not experiencing an outbreak, and they remain on "hybrid" learning. The mayor is asking for the public's cooperation in controlling the spread around the city. In addition to masks and social distancing, he's asking residents to keep partying to a minimum:
"Avoid social gatherings. Discourage people from having social gatherings, and we can certainly bring this pandemic to an end."